Newspapers, the periodical publications which contain events and information, were once considered as the only effective way to learn about the news. Yet the rise of social media appears to be challenging to the newspaper and may have already replaced it.
For those who still believe in newspapers, one of the most important factors is that the information published within is properly gathered, viewed, and corrected by journalists and editors. Therefore the news is more trustworthy than the random tweets shared by people with no professional background. What’s more, they also reckon that newspapers cover a wide variety of fields such as business, sports, and international news, and contain rich materials such as professional opinions and critics. This range of content cannot be rivaled by other medias because they mainly share sole information.
For those who disagree with newspapers, they believe that the new medias not only function the way newspapers do but also bring along other features that newspapers cannot display. Firstly, the instantaneous effect. Social media is known for its immediate share function and any events, news or information can be spread out the moment they occur. Secondly, the extensive readers. Thanks to the internet, one single text can be sent to millions of readers. Therefore they consider the new media as a more effective way to learn about news.
As far as I am concerned, despite the fact that the newspaper is tailored by professionals, it still lacks of some of the crucial elements of publishing effective news: flexibility and content. Once the newspaper is printed, nothing can be changed. Unlike the newspaper, news and information can be updated through social media as it happens. Also the newspaper only covers a certain amount of news daily, and often the readers cannot find the information they want to learn. However via media platforms, the users are able to search for what they want with no limitations. In conclusion, even though people may find misleading information through social media, with the right attitude and method, online media platforms perform much more effectively than newspapers.